Reading what has been written about statements I made on the effect of the Affordable Care Act on our franchisees reminds me of a quote from Lewis H. Lapham, former editor of Harper's magazine: "People may expect too much of journalism. Not only do they expect it to be entertaining, they expect it to be true."

Many in the media reported that I said Papa John's is going to close stores and cut jobs because of Obamacare. I never said that. The fact is we are going to open over hundreds of stores this year and next and increase employment by over 5,000 jobs worldwide. And, we have no plans to cut team hours as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Here is the part of the interchange that was the genesis of the news:

Reporter: "Do you think your -- you know -- franchise owners... are going to cut people hours back to make them part time instead of full time?"

Me: "Well, in Hawaii there is a form of the same kind of health insurance and that's what you do, you find loopholes to get around it. That's what they're going to do."

Reporter: "My understanding is that if you're a full time employee, which is 35 hours or over, you'd be covered. Or if you're part time then you wouldn't be. So wouldn't some business owners just cut people down like 34 hours a week so they wouldn't have to pay for health insurance?"

Me: "It's common sense. It's what I call lose-lose."

The reporter asked what I believed Papa John's franchisees would do in response to Obamacare, not what Papa John's would do. In fact, her question was "wouldn't some business owners just cut people down like 34 hours a week so they wouldn't have to pay for health insurance?"

My answer: "It's common sense."

During that same interview, talking about Obamacare I said, though it wasn't widely reported:

"The good news is 100% of the population (full-time workers) is going to get health insurance. I'm cool with that."
"We're all going to pay for it. There's nothing for free."

"And this way I get to provide health insurance and I'm not at a competitive disadvantage ... our competitors are going to have to do the same thing."

Papa John's, like most businesses, is still researching what the Affordable Care Act means to our operations. Regardless of the conclusion of our analysis, we will honor this law, as we do all laws, and continue to offer 100% of Papa John's corporate employees and workers in company-owned stores health insurance as we have since the company was founded in 1984.

110. Chicago pizza

113. We live in the same neighborhood.

I'm partial to Spumoni Gardens myself, but Lenny's is legendary. It's one of the few remnants of old 86th st left (remember Jahn's & the Hy Tulip Deli?).

Bensonhurst has changed a lot over the years, but why anyone who lives here would opt to eat those sauce-covered paper plates that Papa John's (or Domino's for that matter) produces over the pizza we can get locally is beyond me.

15. You're absolutely right. My hope is enough people boycott Walmart for this very reason.

9. his response is even slimier than his previous statements--it's common sense to screw your

workers, to cut their hours, so you don't have to provide benefits--it's common sense to look for loopholes so you can get around laws regarding your employees.

ummm, johnboy--I think you should have kept your mouth shut, because your attempt to explain yourself, and put yourself in a good light, has angered even MORE people. hmm, on the other hand, KEEP talking--you may talk yourself into bankruptcy and out of that supermansion of yours.

82. no, you're the one confusing the two

About a third of Papa John's employees are covered by the company's health insurance plan, although Schnatter said he has always wanted 100 percent of them on the plan. The rising costs of health insurance, he said, have been a deterrent.

"The good news is 100 percent of the population is going to have health insurance. We're all going to pay for it," he said, estimating the new law would cost the business $5 million to $8 million annually.

Under the Affordable Care Act, full-time employees — those working 30 hours or more per week — would have to be provided with insurance at companies with more than 50 workers. Schnatter said it was likely that some franchise owners would reduce employees' hours in order to avoid having to cover them.

"That's probably what's going to happen," he said. "It's common sense. That's what I call lose-lose."

The CEO of popular pizza chain Papa John's says his employees may face reduced hours and he expects his business costs to rise because President Obama's re-election most likely insures the president's health care reform law will be implemented in full.

NaplesNews.com reports John Schnatter made the remarks to a small group at Edison State College's Collier County campus the day after the election.

Schnatter, who supported Mitt Romney in the election, said all Americans having health insurance under ObamaCare is a good, but estimates the change will cost Papa John's $5 million to $8 million annually.

Schnatter estimated that these rising costs could adversely affect his workers.

37. Excuse Me But...

...You might want to skip this first paragraph if you are getting ready to, or are currently, eating.....

But.... I was out doing volunteer work in the National Forest last week. A very good way to knock yourself dead working for no pay and no thanks but it does get you out to some beautiful locales. I share these vistas with a lot of actual free range cattle. As I was working on the road, a large cow crossed out in front of me, raised its tail and left a handsome deposit in the roadway. The first thing I thought of was "Why does Papa John have a franchise way out here....?"

Okay. It sucks as humor but seriously can we go back to the beginning of this story for a minute?

Poppy said he would be forced to raise the price of his pizzas by fifteen cents because of the OCA.

FIFTEEN FUCKING CENTS?

WTF is that?

When I was a kid it was a daily fine at the library for an overdue book (how many people even remember real books?)

Or a triple decker ice cream cone at the local Rexall Drug store (only chocolate, vanilla or strawberry; no 31 flavors bullshite!).

So if Poppy John said he would have to raise the price of one of his cowflop pizzas by $5, then he might have an argument; I mean, who would pay that price for a turd on a piece of cardboard?

But fifteen cents? Today fifteen cents isn't even pocket change. His claim is so f--king stupid as to deny all rationality! Or did I miss something? BTW I knew this guy was a real d#kwad from a long time ago; a total Reich winger in the same house as the troglodyte who owns Dominos Pizza.

55. 15 CENTS

But that's just it. That's the problem with being so 'big' - the 15 cents per pizza - when you are scarffing up all the money for yourself - adds up.

It's whats wrong with the large business mentality. They see that and multiply it out, and since it goes to THEIR pocket they HATE it when they cant suck it all up.

Same reason they cut ingredients, shave a penny off slave labor wage kids, etc. It's all backwards - instead of spreading the profit around and seeing that a few cents can make a dramatic difference for the workers, they grad the whole wad for themselves.

83. If

he cuts team hours, He cuts back opportunities to earn money. That is simple logic for his business. Just think about it. He needs drivers, to deliver his pizzas and his performance does depend on service the same as those NFL refs.

72. Pardon my French, but what an asshole.

74. Too late, fuckhead.

I'm never buying Papa John's pizza again. Unlike some posters here, I thought the pizza wasn't too bad. But I like the thought of respect for the workers more than I like the pizza. So backtrack all you want. I'm done with you...

79. It was always bullshit. Almost none of his employees are affected by ACA

Other than the store managers, almost everybody else is part time already. And they all work from separate franchised small businesses -- and many of them are small enough that they get ASSISTANCE under the ACA.

The guy is a first rate dumbass. He shot his mouth off about something that didn't even affect him and now he has created a major PR problem.

80. I'm still not going to eat his pizzas

and I do not believe his re-write of recent history.

The only reason why he's saying what he's saying is because his stocks lost over $100k in share value... which means the board of directors snatched a knot in his ass and probably told him to go fix this mess or he would be replaced as the ceo of the company.

103. too bad, so sad....

... love means never having to say you're sorry. Once you say it, you can't take it back. These guys never learned adages like these when they were growing up. My guess is that they were spoiled brats, and bullies to boot. If I was that man, with all of money and mini Disneyland, I would kiss the feet of my customers AND employees. I don't eat pizza, period. So he never got any of my money anyway. But, I still hope he never recovers from his Freudian foot-in-mouth slip.

105. Hundreds more stores?

Great. Hundreds of locations more where Americans can buy really cheaply made crap that is really bad for them! Buy more nutrition free "food" and lots of it! Get even fatter and then go to the doctor for glandular problems.